Warm Sunstone

Lu Xingyuan narrowed his eyes at the tall plum tree before him.

"Qing, Qing, I hope these plums are really as sweet as you said."

He took a deep breath and scrambled up the tree as easily as a monkey.

Rain poured down, soaking his slightly dried hair all over, but he did not care in the slightest. Patiently and carefully, he picked every single plum from the tree.

One sack packed to the brim, weighing roughly fifteen or sixteen pounds.

Only after making sure there was not a single plum left on the tree did Lu Xingyuan jump down and hurriedly carry all the supplies he had gathered back into the carriage.

He checked the time. It was only 11:20.

There were still forty minutes until departure. He could absolutely search a few more houses for supplies.

It was rare to come across a station with no danger. Naturally, he had to make the most of it.

Twelve o'clock.

The train departed on schedule.

Lying on the floor, Lu Xingyuan panted heavily.

There had been no monsters to kill, but he was still exhausted.

Still, looking at the mountain of supplies piled up before him, a faint smile could not help blooming on his weary face.

"Didn't come for nothing."

After resting for a while, Lu Xingyuan took out a clean towel and wiped the water droplets from his body.

The towel was pink and carried a faint fragrance.

Could this have been used by Gu Wanqing?

Lu Xingyuan paused, but did not dwell on it.

At a time like this, who the hell had the energy to be fussy?

Once he had dried his hair, Lu Xingyuan began to feel cold.

"Damn it, I spent so long messing around in the rain, and it's still freezing cold after getting back into the carriage. At this rate, I'll catch a cold sooner or later."

Lu Xingyuan felt somewhat worried.

So what if his body had been strengthened by genetic medicine?

He was only a little stronger than an ordinary person, not Superman.

In this train world without medicine, catching a cold or running a fever could be fatal.

He quickly stripped off his damp clothes.

Standing naked in the carriage, he used the towel to wipe himself down from head to toe.

His body was dry, but the carriage was damp.

The humid air continuously seeped into his skin, bringing waves of chill.

That uncomfortable feeling was still intense.

Even though the windows and doors were all sealed shut, the entire world was shrouded in cold, clammy dampness.

"That's not right."

At that moment, Lu Xingyuan suddenly remembered something and slapped his forehead.

"Don't I still have the Warm Sunstone?"

He thought of the reward he had obtained from the Prismatic Orb.

He hurriedly took out the Warm Sunstone and activated it according to the instructions.

An invisible ripple of power burst forth from the Warm Sunstone.

Then, it was as though a flame had ignited inside the crystal, churning endlessly.

Waves of warmth spread out and instantly filled the entire carriage.

"So comfortable!"

Lu Xingyuan could not stop himself from groaning.

It felt like lying on the grass under the sun.

The Warm Sunstone floated up and hovered in midair, continuously radiating warmth.

The dampness in the carriage was instantly driven away.

No more droplets of water clung to the walls.

That wet, sticky feeling on his body was gone as well.

Lu Xingyuan felt as though he had come back to life. "This is what comfort is supposed to feel like!"

The heat emitted by the Warm Sunstone would not dry the air like an air conditioner did.

Usually, after using an air conditioner for too long, one's mouth and nose would become very dry. In more serious cases, there could even be traces of blood in the nose.

But the Warm Sunstone did none of that. Lu Xingyuan simply felt as comfortable as if he were in twenty-six-degree spring weather.

The only pity was that the Warm Sunstone only affected the first carriage.

The second and third carriages were unaffected.

Still, this was already good enough.

Lu Xingyuan was not greedy.

He wrung out his wet clothes and hung them beside the Warm Sunstone.

Before long, the Warm Sunstone would dry them out.

Since he was the only one in the carriage anyway, he sat naked before the control console without feeling the slightest embarrassment.

As usual, Gu Wanqing had sent him a long string of messages.

"So, was it my house?"

"Damn, you still haven't come back?"

"Reply the moment you see this. I'm dying of curiosity."

Thinking of the secret he had found on Gu Wanqing's computer, the corners of Lu Xingyuan's mouth immediately curled upward.

"Qing, you really guessed right. It was indeed your house."

Gu Wanqing replied almost instantly. "Really? You actually made it to my house?"

Lu Xingyuan replied, "Yeah, it was just that much of a coincidence. Just that magical."

"I went into your room and found a computer there. After turning it on, guess what I found inside?"

Gu Wanqing: "..."

Gu Wanqing: "What did you find?"

Lu Xingyuan sighed.

"Qing, Qing, what am I supposed to say about you? You really need to use incognito mode. How could you openly visit those sketchy websites and leave traces behind? Luckily, it was me. If someone else had found out, wouldn't you have died of embarrassment on the spot?"

Then, he specifically mentioned several unspeakable keywords.

"You watched these ones over and over so many times. You really loved them, huh?"

Gu Wanqing: "Damn it!"

"Ahhh!"

"Stop talking! Stop talking!"

"If you say another word, I'll kill you!"

Then, she began scrambling to defend herself.

"No!"

"I didn't watch those!"

"The computer had a virus."

"It redirected itself there. It had nothing to do with me."

"I've never browsed those improper, unhealthy websites."

"I'm a good girl. An absolutely good girl!"

Lu Xingyuan: →_→

Just see if I believe you.

"I brought the computer back for you. Do you want it?"

"There are also a lot of your old photos on it. I figured you probably wouldn't be willing to part with them. They're precious memories to you."

Gu Wanqing: "Really? You even brought my computer back? Hurry, give it to me!"

Lu Xingyuan immediately sent the laptop over.

Gu Wanqing fell silent.

She was probably fiddling with the computer and looking through the photos inside.

After a long while, she finally said, "Huh, where's my browsing history?"

Lu Xingyuan replied, "Of course I deleted it all for you."

Gu Wanqing: "Oh, thanks."

"But did you look through my photos?"

Lu Xingyuan replied, "If you insist on hearing my honest review of your photography skills, then I can sum it up in six words: they look like total crap!"

"Your landscape shots are unbearable to look at."

"Your portraits only barely look decent because the model is pretty good."

Gu Wanqing: "Why do I feel like you're praising me and insulting me at the same time?"